Console exclusivity has been a live question since the game's announcement.
As reported by IGN, an advertisement shared by the official PlayStation Twitter account seems to indicate that we’ll have to wait an extra six months for Final Fantasy 16 on PC. During a portion of the sizzle reel showcasing FF16, there’s fine print reading “Final Fantasy 16 anticipated summer 2023. PS5 exclusive for six months.”
That strikes me as a pretty clear statement, but the waters are muddied somewhat by the exciting new frontiers of timed console exclusivity we’ve explored in recent years. Take Deathloop for instance—that was “PlayStation exclusive” in that it only launched on PlayStation and PC in 2021, with an Xbox version following a year later. So while the exclusivity lasts six months, that’s not confirmation it’ll come to PC six months after the PS5 launch. We’ve reached out to Square Enix for clarification, and will update this story if we hear back.
Barring further word from Square Enix, I think we have to turn to the recent history of mainline Final Fantasy games on PC for the best evidence of what the port’s timing will look like. Namely, there was a year and a half gap between the console (no Xbox snub here) and PC launches of Final Fantasy 15, while there was a similar delay between the PS4 and PC Epic Game Store releases of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
With that in mind, a six month delay looks not only plausible, but like an improvement over the waits we’ve endured in the past. It still feels bad though. Square Enix has been getting better at supporting the PC as a platform, putting out more stable releases with more robust graphics menus and even simultaneous launches of lower-profile games like NieR Replicant, Stranger of Paradise, or the upcoming Crisis Core Reunion.
Having a timed delay like this just feels annoying to me, a commitment to an earlier era of console competition and porting woes. It’s like PC Final Fantasy fans have to be disciplined slightly for not getting a PS5, and I’m not sure Final Fantasy Fever is at a pitch to encourage PS5 purchases where they wouldn’t happen otherwise.
Now I’m just starting to sound like a console war guy though, and that’s by far the worst thing to come out of this situation. If you’re looking for more information on the next Final Fantasy, check out our guide on everything we know so far about FF16.
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